1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to sports equipment and, more particularly, to an organizer for holding players' equipment in a dugout.
2. Description of the Related Art
As outlying suburbs are developed surrounding major metropolitan areas, sports fields and complexes continue to be designed and constructed by municipalities and private entities to support the athletic interests of the community. In particular, large scale multi-field and multi-purpose complexes are being designed to accommodate the large number of kids and adults who participate in various sports and athletic activities. While these complexes and fields feature state of the art amenities, some features can be left out due to either being cost prohibitive or due to the potential risk of vandalism, thievery or abuse which would make them impractical for a facility to install.
With regard specifically to baseball/softball complexes and fields, most dugouts are designed to include only chain link fences and metal benches and without any type of device provided to organize the amount of game and player equipment that is used in organized baseball/softball. At the major league, minor league, collegiate and occasional high school level, team dugouts typically include custom wood built-in units that are designed to hold player equipment such as batting helmets and bats. Additionally, players of these corresponding age levels are old enough to care for their respective things in a responsible manner, are respectful of their teammate's equipment and have played long enough to know the traditional way that equipment is handled in a dugout. At the youth level, however, this behavior is not the case. The typical dugout at a community or municipal ball field complex during a baseball/softball game or practice consists of hats, gloves, bats, helmets, water bottles, bags and other equipment items strewn about the dugout bench and ground in a haphazard manner because there is no singular, dedicated space or device for orderly containment of the equipment. This situation repeats itself time and time again as the team/players go from fielding to batting during the course of a practice or game.
As such, players often take a long time to find their respective equipment, they mistakenly grab another player's equipment, or have their equipment damaged or soiled because it has been stepped on or spilled on.
Existing comparable products that are available to the consumer include plastic or metal hanging bat holders, hanging bat bags, hanging helmet bags, hanging bat and helmet bags, hanging helmet and glove bags, singular equipment hooks, equipment storage bags and organizers, and individual player equipment bags. With regard to the aforementioned items they are designed to contain/store either just one or two equipment items or the equipment of only one individual player. Several also have the intended secondary purpose of serving as a storage and equipment carry bag of the particular items. While the prior art function satisfactorily in their intended functions they are limited in their scope and fail to provide a comprehensive solution.
Accordingly, there is a need for a dugout baseball/softball equipment organizer that provides adequate storage space for each player on the team while remaining easy to store and transport to games.